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Below you’ll find links to stories that provide the latest updates on LAZ Parking, industry insight, and some uplifting announcements that speak to the culture of LAZ Parking.

The Conference of Appreciation: Hear, See, Engage, Grow

11/08/2018

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” – William James

My favorite thing about working for Parking Today Media is an opportunity to go to various conferences. Be it Intertraffic, Parkex, Parking Australia’s Outlook or Pace, IPI or NPA conference or our own PIE, the thing that gives me most joy is learning. Lectures and seminars make me feel like a kid and bream with excitement and enthusiasm. So, when I come back home, I can create more value for every company Parking Today Media strives to promote and for every person who works for that company.

This past September 17-19, I was fortunate to participate in one of the best conferences ever and that is 2018 SWPTA Fall Conference from South Western Parking Association. SWPTA’s vision is “connect, share and educate.” And connect, share and educate, they did.

William James says that what drives us most as human beings is a need to be appreciated. Julie Dixon, the current president of SWPTA; Brandy Stanley, the former president; and Dawn Marti, the event’s manager, and the board of SWPTA, seem to understand that need better than anyone.

From the moment this gathering begun at the SWPTA Team Building at Top Golf and then at the opening reception, every participant was appreciated. Appreciated, seen and heard, invited to speak, share and to be fully engaged. As Julie Dixon mentioned in her Wednesday presentation, we are all in this one cart called parking and transportation industry. One bad apple ruins the whole cart.

Yes, data is a new oil.

SWPTA is a smaller regional conference versus the large national or international ones, but the enthusiasm of this fall conference was un-paralleled. What made this gathering of people from cities and municipalities, universities and various companies so great?

It was Julie, Brandy, Dawn, Elisa Tapia, the group’s Secretary and every presenter and participant. Enthusiasm is contagious. It raises the vibrations. Hence, if a leader or a boss sets the tone, the others will follow with their own passion and engagement. If the people in charge step into the arena showing their courage in their vulnerability the others will demonstrate the same openness...

...The pitch that had many of us in tears and also uplifted us, came from LAZ. We were all given a form from LAZ to fill out. It focused on questions such as, what was your first job? What is the one thing people don’t know about you? The most important question was related to LAZ 2018’s mission and that is “Own The Mojo.”

What does “Own the Mojo” mean to you? For LAZ, based on VP of Government Services Rob Maroney’s presentation, it means people first. LAZ cares about every employee in the company. They stand by their teammates in the most challenging times, be it natural disasters or health issues. Because of their CEO Alan Lazowski, the company implements a hugging culture. Therefore, everyone is appreciated and is seen, heard and welcomed in every instance.

And that is how it was at SWPTA. LAZ’s hugging culture and heartfelt leadership and service of SWPTA’s Julie, Brandy, Dawn and Elisa connected us all. But most of all, it educated us on how to be better workers, leaders, employees, decision makers, teammates, and most of all, better human beings. Thank you SWPTA! I can’t wait to see and appreciate everyone next year!